Stop Searching: The Bonus Stranger Things Episode Is Just a Rumor

Stranger Things fans spent the week chasing a phantom ninth episode called 'Conformity Gate.' If you were planning to park on the couch at 8 p.m. tonight waiting for it to drop... you can stop refreshing. It is not real.

What people thought 'Conformity Gate' was

After the two-hour series finale hit Netflix on New Year's Eve, a chunk of the internet convinced itself there was one more secret installment coming to tidy up the ending. The theory kept mutating, but the gist was:

• A bonus episode titled 'Conformity Gate' would appear on January 7 at 8 p.m.
• It would rewrite parts of the finale fans didn't like.
• Vecna/Henry (Jamie Campbell Bower) didn't actually die and had been warping the ending we saw.
• The whole thing would bend reality with a fourth-wall twist.
• Clips even popped up claiming early access, with posters insisting this mystery episode fixes what was wrong with the finale.

Where the rumor came from

It started with a winky post on the official Stranger Things TikTok: Hawkins teacher Mr. Clarke (Randy Havens) standing in front of a clock set to 1:07. Fans read that as a date (1/07), then the internet sprinkled on an 8 p.m. time, and suddenly there was a fully formed drop window for a nonexistent episode. TikTok did the rest, with fans, influencers, and clout-chasers pushing the idea like it was a done deal.

Reality check

There is no ninth episode. The story ended with the New Year's Eve finale, which is streaming now on Netflix. The next official thing on deck is a behind-the-scenes documentary, 'One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things,' arriving January 12. That one is actually happening.

I get missing the show. I also get not loving every beat of a finale. But inventing a secret add-on to rewrite the ending? That's one conspiracy too far. Let the Duffers' ending be the ending, and we'll see you at the doc next week.